Green roofs growing in Windsor

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UWindsor Daily News
The living wall at the University of Windsor. Architect Kevin Stelzer calls it an "organic air filter."

Spring is here, and the grass is growing. But in some parts of Windsor it’s not just sprouting from the ground, but the roofs and walls as well.

According to the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Association, green roof installations are up 24 per cent across North America. While less prevalent in Windsor than other parts of Canada, the trend is still taking root in the Rose City.

In addition to energy savings and cleaner air, Stelzer says green building initiatives offer benefits that are harder to quantify.

“The more social and comfortable you can make a building, the more productive the people inside become,” he said. “In the case of the university, that building will produce more good ideas… They’re also going to get more publicity, which can lead to more enrollment, and there’s a research benefit as well. It’s very layered.

“And birds love them,” he added.

Since 2005, there’s also been a green roof at St. Christopher Catholic School on E.C. Row Avenue.

“To this day, eight years later, it’s a constant reminder of how we have to respect our environment,” said principal Joe Iacono.

The roof saves an estimated $25,000 a year in energy costs, Iacono said, earning St. Christopher the title of most energy efficient elementary school in Ontario.

“It’s about making the best use of the space,” said David Fields, an organic gardener and one of the project’s managers. “Having a green roof could really make a difference in terms of utility costs and allow us to increase our growing capacity.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S., costs for installing a green roof range between $10 and $25 per square foot. Annual maintenance costs are between $0.75 and $1.50 per square foot. Although such costs are higher than regular roofs, everyone Metro spoke with felt the expense was worth it.